A conventional scroll compressor is shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-35196/1989 (examined), in which the first and second scroll members, in an eccentric relation with each other, are rotated in the same direction to compress a refrigerant in a compression space to thereby reduce vibration at the time of compression, so that the scroll compressor can be used for high-speed and/or large scale applications.
However, in the conventional scroll compressor, sealed space is formed between an end plate of the first scroll member and a confronting first housing by a slide ring, and, similarly, a sealed space is formed between an end plate of the second scroll member and a confronting second housing, and a refrigerant in the compression space is supplied to the sealed spaces to thereby press the first and second scroll members. At the start of operation, however, a gap in the axial direction is enlarged more than necessary and the compression within the compression space is substantially delayed, with the result that the refigeration capacity at the initial stage of the start of the operation is lowered. Further, since the rotational portions are sealed by the slide rings, relative rotation speed of the rotational sealing portions becomes higher, resulting in failures in durability and in the sealing effect of the slide rings.
In addition, an Oldham's ring is provided outside the rotating scroll compressor unit, which is disposed between the end plate of the first scroll member and a flange of the second scroll member and, therefore, the entire structure becomes large, and it does not meet with a small-size requirement.